India were about to play an all-seam attack, reveals R Ashwin

Indian captain Virat Kohli‘s team selection parameters and mindset of the whole setup in the ongoing Test series against the Proteas have raised has some serious queries in the minds of many former Indian cricketers as well as the fans who follow the game.  After the defeat in the first Test match, the Indian skipper replied that they decided to go in with players who are currently in a better form and comfortable mindset to battle out the tough conditions in the African continent.

India’s current leading spinner in the longest format Ravichandran Ashwin has revealed that his name was included in the Playing XI for the second Test at Centurion at the penultimate moment.

Ashwin was expected to play a huge role in this team when they travel in overseas in this calendar year after enjoying a golden run at home in his career so far. Not many have expected, that the Centurion wicket where the second Test is being played would be providing some help to the slower bowlers. The right arm offie showed his worth and picked up three important wickets, whereas the rest of the Indian bowlers struggled on the first day of the second Test match.

An eleventh-hour entry of Ashwin

Ashwin stated that two days before the start of the second Test match against South Africa, it was expected that the visitors would be playing an ‘all-seam attack’ in the crucial game of the three-match series. At the last moment, after looking at the pitch, the Indian team decided to include the off-spinner in the team. This decision was also taken as the huge amount of grass which was laid on the track a few days ago was reduced to a drastic effect. That was the point when India’s current leading spinner readied himself for the game.

“Two days from the game it looked like we are going to play an all-seam attack. And then when we walked into the ground yesterday, it was white in colour, the grass was coming off. All of a sudden, I really had to pull myself back and think ‘I am in the game now,” said Ashwin during the interview after the end of first day’s play of the second Test match as quoted by International Business Times.

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